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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: fan · can · wind · suit · hand · mate · bound · bore

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — certain
  12. mate — a partner
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  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