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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — a series
  3. object — an aim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to click
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. object — to protest
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — certain

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