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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: wake · stem · bound · deal · land · lash · board · leaves

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. land — to come down
  10. bound — certain
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — a trail
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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