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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: bass · spring · bound · pop · leaves · lean · club · tube

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for golf
  8. spring — the season
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — a container
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spring — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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