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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: can · present · hand · chip · lean · bound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — the time now
  13. hand — in cards
  14. present — a gift
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — help
  18. can — to be able to

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