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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — tied together
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. last — final
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — to go on
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — finally
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a document
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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