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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.

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: mine · bound · leaves · cold · temple · wound · stick · march

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. march — the month
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cold — an illness
  23. march — music
  24. wound — an injury

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