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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bound — certain
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — in football
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — obliged

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