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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 120 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
468
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: clip · spring · rest · degree · bear · bound · hide · suit

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. suit — clothes
  13. clip — a video
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — a break
  17. clip — to cut
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — the season
  23. degree — from a university
  24. clip — for paper

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