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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fall — the season
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — there
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tube — a container

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