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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: bass · foot · stick · spring · pass · chest · bound · mine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chest — a box
  6. bound — certain
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spring — of water
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — low music
  24. pass — a permit

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