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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. track — a song
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lean — thin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a path
  14. craft — boats
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bark — to shout

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