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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: bear · bound · date · suit · kick · rule · firm · wound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — government
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — a company
  12. rule — a law
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — in football
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — the fruit
  24. firm — decided

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