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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bound — certain
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fine — all right
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to click

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