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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · ball · hide · bound · foot · mouse · leaves · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. march — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — certain
  24. ball — a dance

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