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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 120 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: mate · bound · leaves · fan · wind · coach · bank · bulb

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mate — a partner
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bound — certain
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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