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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — a subject
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — tied together
  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