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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: leaves · roll · mouse · last · chest · hide · bound · sharp

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. roll — a cake
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. sharp — clever
  8. last — final
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. last — finally
  12. bound — certain
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. last — to go on
  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