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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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Word bank
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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — in a road
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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