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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. field — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — electric
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to click
  23. field — a subject
  24. hide — to keep secret

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