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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: fan · kick · bound · rash · rush · rest · ground · deal

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rash — a series
  8. ground — crushed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kick — in football
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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