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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · bound · club · rush · wind · hide · bark · lean

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — thin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — for golf
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — hurry

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