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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: wave · lean · ground · object · bound · track · craft · content

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — an aim
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. track — a song
  16. content — the amount
  17. object — to protest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. object — a thing
  20. content — happy
  21. craft — a skill
  22. track — a path
  23. ground — a position
  24. wave — with your hand

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