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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — a short time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. staff — employees
  17. roll — a list
  18. spell — magic
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — letters
  21. roll — a cake
  22. clip — to cut
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — obliged

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