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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a document
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a line of people
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ground — crushed
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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