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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bound — certain
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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