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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · lean · wave · bear · bound · chest · can · bark

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — a tin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chest — a box
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bank — for money
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to rest against

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