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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 116 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: row · lean · fall · present · rock · bound · mine · can

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — the time now
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — a gift
  17. bound — certain
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — there
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — music
  24. row — a line

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