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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 120 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: rock · leaves · bound · mouse · hide · racket · fall · kid

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — child
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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