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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 120 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: pass · bay · branch · court · leaves · chest · bound · content

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — the amount
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — a box
  10. court — of a king
  11. branch — a division
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — of law
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — happy
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. court — for sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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