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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cell — in biology
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bound — certain

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