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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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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: leaves · racket · bear · fine · fall · spring · bound · season

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bound — certain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. season — of the year
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spring — the season
  24. bound — tied together

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