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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wound · leaves · mate · fine · net · wind

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — after costs
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. net — for catching
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — all right

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