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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: field · can · rash · leaves · bore · bound · bay · file

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — a subject
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. file — a line of people
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — a series
  24. bore — to drill

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