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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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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 · bound · tear · track · racket · fall · drill · lean

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — to drop
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — army training
  24. fall — the season

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