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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 116 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: bound · band · bowl · stand · hide · squash · face · nail

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — obliged
  23. squash — to crush
  24. band — a music group

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