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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.

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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: content · lash · jam · bear · rash · bay · foot · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. content — happy
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rash — a series
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. content — the amount
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bear — to put up with

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