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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: file · bound · wind · hide · pass · snap · safe · stem

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. file — a document
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. safe — out of danger

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