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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bound — tied together
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bound — obliged
  7. present — there
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — ground
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — to come down
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. land — a country
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — certain

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