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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — certain
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of a king
  14. land — a country
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. date — the fruit

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