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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: bore · hand · stand · dip · spell · chest · bound · can

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bound — certain
  7. bore — to drill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spell — magic
  10. hand — help
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — letters
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — tied together
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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