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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: bound · fine · kid · foot · bass · face · kick · race

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. race — a contest
  3. foot — a measure
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. race — humankind
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. face — to confront
  15. kick — in football
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — tied together
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — low music

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