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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · press · court · cold · leaves · safe · board · bound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — an illness
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — tied together
  9. press — to push
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — of a king
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. court — of law
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — a weight
  21. board — a committee
  22. cold — not warm
  23. court — for sport
  24. press — a publisher

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