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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: bound · leaves · firm · spring · sharp · bear · foot · cold

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — obliged
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — the season
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — a coil
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. foot — a measure
  24. leaves — lets stay

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