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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: hide · stick · lash · coach · rule · content · game · bound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — a law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — government
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — obliged
  13. content — the amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — certain
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. content — videos and posts

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