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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — humankind
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bound — certain
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mug — a face
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com