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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 124 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bound — obliged
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — help
  24. prune — to trim

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