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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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Word bank
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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: nail · bound · content · lean · mug · bear

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. content — the amount
  3. bound — certain
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — a cup
  10. content — happy
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a face

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