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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — in sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wake — before a funeral

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