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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: craft · hide · mark · bound · stand · net

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a handicraft

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