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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bound — certain
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bound — tied together
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rule — a law
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rule — government

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