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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: leaves · bowl · lean · branch · bound · vault · fan · tube

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bound — obliged
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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