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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — to bend
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lean — thin
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — for dancing
  11. staff — a stick
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — army training
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. club — for golf
  24. wave — of the sea

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