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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: deal · march · bound · craft · leaves · pop · cabinet · hide

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pop — music
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. deal — to handle
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

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