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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.

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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: chip · stand · rest · wound · can · season · bound · shower

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — rain
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chip — for betting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — on your feet

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