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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: roll · date · bound · hide · clip · wave · stand · suit

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — a video
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. suit — to fit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. roll — a list
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. suit — clothes

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