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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: nail · bound · march · cabinet · rock · lie · pitch · hide

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — a stone
  5. march — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bound — certain
  24. hide — animal skin

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