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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · straw · dip · mouse · present · hide

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. present — a gift

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