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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: kick · firm · fall · rule · pitcher · snap · march · bound

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — in football
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rule — a law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — tied together
  24. march — the month

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