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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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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: hide · hand · rock · wind · craft · present · cue · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cue — a signal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. present — there
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — the time now
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hand — help
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — a gift

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