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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
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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: toast · spring · content · pass · present · coach · bank · bound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. present — the time now
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — the amount
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — there
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — happy
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spring — the season
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pass — a permit

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