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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: mark · cabinet · rule · bank · hide · sharp · bound · march

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mark — a trace
  13. march — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. mark — to pay attention

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