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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 116 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: club · bound · cabinet · rash · deal · rest · lean · tube

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — a group
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — to handle
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rest — a break
  21. rash — a series
  22. club — for golf
  23. tube — a container
  24. bound — tied together

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