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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: wind · chest · mug · spell · bound · hide · snap · fine

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mug — a face
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fine — high quality
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — certain
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — letters

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