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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · lean · toast · bore · tube · stick · foot · bound

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — bread
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tube — the underground
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bound — certain

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