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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: leaves · content · lash · shower · pass · firm · bound · arm

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. content — happy
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — obliged
  10. firm — a company
  11. shower — rain
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. firm — steady
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — certain
  21. firm — decided
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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