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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bound — certain
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — to be able to
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bound — tied together
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rock — music

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