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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — of water
  10. dip — to sink
  11. present — there
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — a container
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — of a river
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — the time now

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