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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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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: mark · stick · lie · bound · band · squash · hide · wind

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. squash — to crush
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — certain
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. band — a music group
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — a grade

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