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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 120 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: kick · pass · bound · club · bank · mark · fall · tube

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. club — for golf
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — a trace
  24. club — a group

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