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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: root · stand · bat · spell · bound · lean · leaves · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bat — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — a short time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bound — certain
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — obliged
  16. root — the cause
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — thin
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. root — of a word
  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