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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · tear · mate · fine · mine · bound · drill · march

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. bound — certain
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. march — music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tear — from crying
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mate — a friend
  22. drill — army training
  23. mine — for digging
  24. march — the month

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