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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stick · hide · leaves · tube · bound · clip · stand · arm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — tied together
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bound — obliged
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — certain
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — the underground
  12. clip — a video
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. clip — to cut
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. clip — for paper
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tube — a container

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