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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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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spell — magic
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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