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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spring — of water
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chest — a box
  17. spring — the season
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a grade

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