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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kid — child
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — the earth
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — a stick
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — decided
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — a song
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ground — a position
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — to point toward
  22. firm — steady
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bound — tied together

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