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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — the underground
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bound — certain

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