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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: rush · bound · content · fork · fall · leaves · game · bulb

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a match
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bulb — for light

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