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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: mark · sharp · coach · lie · bulb · race · bound · hide

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. race — a contest
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — certain
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. race — the arms race
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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