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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · chest · capital · arm · mug · bound · present · row

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chest — a box
  7. row — a line
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bound — obliged
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. present — there
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chest — of your body
  15. capital — a city
  16. chest — of your body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. present — a gift
  19. bound — certain
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — money
  23. mug — to rob
  24. row — to paddle

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