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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: hide · face · mouse · mate · hand · suit · kick · bound

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — help
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bound — obliged
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hand — in cards
  11. face — part of the head
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — to confront
  24. hand — part of the body

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