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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 · staff · rash · sharp · pop · fall · deal · row

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — soda
  6. fall — the season
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — clever
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — to handle
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — exactly

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