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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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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 · face · bound · bat · hide · ball · content · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. face — to confront
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — happy
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hide — animal skin

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