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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 120 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 · shower · bound · pass · mug · field · leaves · craft

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — the earth
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — a position
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mug — to rob
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a face
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. field — a subject
  19. pass — a permit
  20. craft — boats
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — to wash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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