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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: march · pass · face · land · bound · cell · bank · rock

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — a country
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to confront
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rock — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — music
  24. pass — to spend time

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