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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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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: squash · hand · bound · hide · deal · mark · rule · spring

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rule — government
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bound — obliged
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — certain
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — a law
  18. spring — of water
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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