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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 · fine · hide · band · bowl · pit · lash · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. band — a ring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — certain
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fall — the season
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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