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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: bound · temple · leaves · board · mine · roll · pit · wake

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mine — for digging
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pit — in a race
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. pit — a hole
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bound — certain
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. roll — a list
  23. bound — obliged
  24. roll — a cake

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