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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: mouse · ground · lie · march · rush · bound · lash · suit

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. march — music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bound — certain

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