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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods

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