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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. band — a ring
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. face — to confront
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a music group
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — an eyelash

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