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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — in a road
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — certain
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — animal skin

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