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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: fall · arm · bound · present · tear · suit · bore · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — certain
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — there
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — the time now

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