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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: swing · bat · bound · lean · bank · bore · can · band

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a ring
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lean — to bend
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bank — of a river

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