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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: trunk · bowl · leaves · stand · pitcher · spring · bound · pass

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bound — certain

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