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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rest — a break
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — to keep track
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — decided
  15. field — farmland
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. firm — a company
  19. shower — rain
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — a subject
  23. bound — obliged
  24. drill — army training

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