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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — of a plant

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