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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 116 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: leaves · tube · rush · pit · bay · bound · squash · cell

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rush — hurry
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — a container
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bound — obliged
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — in biology

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