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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · bay · bank · bound · deal · fall

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — certain
  18. fall — the season

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