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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — to crush
  18. band — a music group
  19. hand — help
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bound — certain
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. band — a ring

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