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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: hide · bound · current · coach · spell · squash · ruler · stand

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. current — of water
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — certain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spell — letters

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