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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: temple · bound · bowl · wake · hand · land · leaves · cabinet

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — help
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — tied together
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — before a funeral

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