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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.

Words on the sheet
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: cold · bound · lean · cabinet · foot · pass · date · wound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lean — to bend
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pass — a permit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — thin

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