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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pop — soda
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spell — a short time
  6. row — a line
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — a law
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — government
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spell — letters
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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