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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — a line
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — a division
  24. pass — to succeed

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