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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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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: deal · last · rush · bound · fine · fan · mug · present

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — certain
  14. present — there
  15. last — final
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — finally
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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