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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: bound · content · hide · lean · craft · can · track · row

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — a path
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — tied together
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — the amount
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to bend
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — happy
  24. row — to paddle

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