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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 · lean · can · deal · bore · squash · hide · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — to tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — to be able to
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — thin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the sport
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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