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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: rush · clip · pit · foot · fan · mug · wound · bound

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. bound — certain
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mug — a cup
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. clip — a video
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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