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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: club · object · bound · rock · bowl · lean · mine · clip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — thin
  5. object — a thing
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. clip — a video
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. object — an aim
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — to bend
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — certain
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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