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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 · cold · bound · content · track · press · saw · suit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cold — not warm
  5. content — the amount
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. press — newspapers
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. press — to push
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. bound — tied together
  16. press — a publisher
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — certain
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. track — to keep track
  24. suit — to fit

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