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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: mark · rash · mouse · rule · kick · rush · wound · bound

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bound — certain
  16. rule — government
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kick — in football
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. kick — a thrill

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