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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bound — certain
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ground — a position

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