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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — obliged
  3. object — an aim
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a document
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bound — certain
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — for dogs

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