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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.

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 · hide · march · current · calf · mine · stock · file

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. file — a line of people
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — for digging
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. file — a document
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — the month

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