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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: date · lean · bound · firm · bass · game · kick · rush

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bass — low music
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bound — certain
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. kick — a thrill

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