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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — the season
  24. bound — obliged

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