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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 116 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: bound · racket · kick · lean · content · wind · coach · rock

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — happy
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. content — the amount
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. kick — in football
  22. rock — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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