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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. march — music
  5. shower — rain
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — thin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — certain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bound — obliged

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