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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: wind · date · bay · fall · bound · calf · bank · lie

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fall — the season
  24. lie — an untruth

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