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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — the cause
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — clever
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bass — low music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. snap — to click

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