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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: lie · charge · rest · hide · ball · bound · trunk · stock

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — tied together
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — in control
  15. stock — goods
  16. rest — a break
  17. stock — shares
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rest — what's left

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