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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — there
  4. rest — a break
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. present — a gift
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. march — the month
  11. hand — help
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — certain
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bound — obliged
  17. march — music
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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