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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tube — the underground
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — a container
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — certain
  20. bank — for money
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pass — a permit

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