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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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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: bay · stick · object · bound · drill · net · chest · bank

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. object — an aim
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — certain
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — in sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. net — after costs
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — for catching

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