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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: hand · bound · spring · nail · rule · jam · hide · racket

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — in cards
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rule — government
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spring — the season
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — help
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — a coil
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — a law
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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