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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: bear · bound · chest · arm · pass · lean · pound · fan

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bound — certain
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chest — a box
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — thin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — to cool the air

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