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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a ring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. band — a music group
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

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