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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: mark · chest · bound · current · mine · roll · hide · leaves

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chest — a box
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — happening now
  8. chest — of your body
  9. roll — a list
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. current — electric
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — of water
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — for digging
  24. roll — on a roll

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