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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — of a river
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — certain
  5. tear — to rip
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — size or range
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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