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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: wave · ground · bear · cabinet · bound · chip · object · fall

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — crushed
  7. object — a thing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — an aim
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ground — a position
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — to protest
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — the animal

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