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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — happy
  3. bound — tied together
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. bank — of a river

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