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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: suit · hide · pass · bound · lean · kid · race · rest

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lean — thin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rest — a break
  24. lean — to bend

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