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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: bay · bound · scale · lean · leaves · cap · spring · coach

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bound — certain
  6. cap — of ice
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spring — of water
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lean — thin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — in music
  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