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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. spell — letters
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bound — certain
  12. spell — magic
  13. rule — a law
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rule — government
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — a short time

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