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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: object · rock · deal · hide · kick · sharp · land · bound

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — a country
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — ground
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — to come down
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rock — music
  18. object — an aim
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kick — in football
  24. sharp — clever

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