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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
468
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: hide · tube · kick · present · wake · leaves · court · bound

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — of a king
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — a container
  8. court — for sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — certain
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. court — of law
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. present — a gift
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — there
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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