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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chip — for betting
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — in football
  9. row — a line
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — tied together
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — to fit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. row — to paddle

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