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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: temple · bound · bank · toast · mate · pound · rest · content

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. toast — bread
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — of a river
  8. content — happy
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mate — a friend
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rest — a break
  16. pound — a weight
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. content — the amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — a place of worship

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