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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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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: kid · bound · hide · race · stick · plane · fine · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fine — all right
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — the arms race
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — humankind
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kid — to tease
  23. race — a contest
  24. kid — child

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