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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — a break
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. kick — in football
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. deal — an agreement

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