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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a line
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — tied together
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — obliged
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. race — humankind
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — a tight spot

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