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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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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 · stand · tear · board · hide · chair

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. board — a committee
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chair — a leader
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bound — certain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — to bear

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