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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 · object · hide · mine · race · rush · cap · foot

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — tied together
  3. race — humankind
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — a thing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — a lid
  22. object — an aim
  23. race — a contest
  24. cap — a hat

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