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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: kick · pop · craft · content · leaves · race · bound · rest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — soda
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. race — humankind
  17. content — the amount
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — happy
  21. race — a contest
  22. bound — tied together
  23. race — the arms race
  24. kick — in football

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