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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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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: kick · deal · temple · rest · staff · mine · swing · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — a break
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — an agreement

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