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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. file — a document
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — for a computer

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