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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: sharp · mug · shower · tube · temple · lean · bound · fork

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. shower — rain
  5. mug — a face
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mug — a cup
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lean — thin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — certain
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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