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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · bound · squash · stick · race · leaves · rash · lean

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lean — to bend
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — thin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bound — tied together
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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