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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.

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: leaves · bowl · spring · charge · bear · wound · bound · key

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. charge — a price
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — the season
  24. wound — an injury

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