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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — to go on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — final
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rule — government
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fall — the season
  14. bound — certain
  15. kid — child
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — a law
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bound — obliged
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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