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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: bank · game · arm · bound · bear · kid · pass · leaves

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bound — certain
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kid — child
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kid — to tease

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