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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — obliged
  4. degree — from a university
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — an amount
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — of a river
  15. degree — temperature
  16. staff — a stick
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — in sport

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