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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · court · pass · face · bound · mouse · kick · last

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — of law
  3. last — final
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bound — tied together
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. court — of a king
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — to go on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — the underground

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