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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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