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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: leaves · stand · rash · board · court · lash · bound · season

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. court — of law
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — a series
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — to bear
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — of a king
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — obliged

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