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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: bore · bound · content · can · wind · leaves · kid · deal

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bound — tied together
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kid — child
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — certain
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kid — to tease
  24. deal — to handle

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