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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. rock — music
  5. file — a document
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. file — a tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — a stone
  12. squash — the sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bound — certain
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pit — in a race

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