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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. season — of the year
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — hurry
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — in sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. bound — tied together

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