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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: tear · mate · chest · ball · bank · trunk · season · bound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — in sport
  18. chest — a box
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tear — from crying

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