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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 · suit · clip · mark · ground · present · wake · spring

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wake — a trail
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bound — obliged
  9. clip — a video
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spring — a coil
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — the season
  14. ground — a position
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spring — of water
  20. clip — for paper
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — certain
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — tied together

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