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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: ground · date · patient · season · fine · snap · leaves · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fine — all right
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — crushed
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — certain
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. snap — to click

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