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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 · plane · bear · capital · firm · lean · bound · wind

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — the season
  3. capital — a city
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — a company
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — decided
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — to put up with

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