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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — a box
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bound — certain
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bass — low music
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the fish

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