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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: land · lie · straw · bore · race · bound · bowl · hide

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — certain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — to come down
  14. bore — to drill
  15. race — humankind
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bound — tied together
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. land — a country

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