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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lean — thin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — a thing
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. roll — a cake
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. object — an aim
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — to protest
  22. bound — tied together
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chest — a box

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