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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: bound · stick · fine · hand · club · tear · row · firm

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — a group
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. firm — steady
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — help
  17. bound — obliged
  18. club — for golf
  19. fine — all right
  20. bound — tied together
  21. firm — a company
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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