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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. bound — tied together
  6. firm — decided
  7. lean — thin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — a company
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bass — low music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — a price
  24. bass — the fish

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