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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: suit · bore · rock · stem · bound · cold · ball · hide

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cold — an illness
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cold — not warm
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rock — a stone

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