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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: wound · rush · staff · bound · chair · leaves · arm · content

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rush — hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. content — happy
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — a thrill

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