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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a trace
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. fall — the season
  10. rule — government
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rule — a law
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — an injury

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