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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: bound · patient · leaves · wound · mouse · lash · lie · season

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — certain
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. season — of the year
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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