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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 116 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: bound · shower · march · suit · cap · content · bear · rock

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. shower — rain
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. march — music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. content — the amount
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. march — the month
  19. content — happy
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. suit — clothes

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