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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: roll · bound · toast · clip · wax · fine · lean · bank

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — obliged
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. roll — a list
  21. lean — thin
  22. clip — a video
  23. wax — to grow
  24. toast — bread

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