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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stem — to come from
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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