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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: bear · bound · wind · board · mate · can · leaves · deal

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a friend
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mate — a partner
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — certain

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