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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: bound · court · track · tear · chest · lean · hide · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chest — a box
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. chest — of your body
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — of law
  16. track — a song
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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