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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · bound · bank · pitcher · mark · kid · temple · deal

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — tied together
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spell — a short time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — child
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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