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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · hide · mark · bound · stand · net · squash · chair

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — certain
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. squash — to crush
  21. net — in sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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