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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: track · cell · suit · bank · hand · dip · bore · bound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. suit — to fit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. track — to keep track
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hand — help
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. track — a song
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cell — in biology

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