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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: hide · race · rule · mark · bound · pound · date · cabinet

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — humankind
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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