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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: bound · mate · leaves · land · mark · tear · can · drill

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. drill — army training
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — a country
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tear — from crying

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