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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: perch · spring · deal · pound · rush · bank · bound · trunk

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bound — obliged
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spring — the season
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — of water
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — of a river
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bound — certain

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