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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — a container
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the sport
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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