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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: toast · mine · lean · wind · can · pitcher · chip · bound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. toast — bread
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — to eat
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — certain
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — tied together

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