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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: rule · row · lash · bay · field · bound · cabinet · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. field — a subject
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — a law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. field — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. row — a line
  18. field — farmland
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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