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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bass — low music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fall — the season

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