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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — there
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ground — a position
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. present — the time now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. present — a gift
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bank — of a river
  22. current — happening now
  23. rest — what's left
  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