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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: spell · pound · hide · season · bound · mine · temple · arm

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mine — for digging
  9. spell — magic
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. season — of the year
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mine — belonging to me

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