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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · spring · suit · leaves · wake · patient · bound · fan

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spring — the season
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — obliged
  18. suit — to fit
  19. can — a tin
  20. suit — in cards
  21. can — to be able to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — certain
  24. wake — a trail

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