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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kick — in football
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. net — after costs
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — for catching
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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