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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: prune · cap · bound · foot · saw · fall · wake · leaves

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — obliged
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fall — the season
  14. bound — certain
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wake — a trail
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fall — to drop

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