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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — humankind
  3. court — of law
  4. band — a ring
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bound — certain
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. band — a music group
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. court — of a king
  24. wave — of the sea

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