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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 116 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: field · bound · leaves · mark · lean · tube · pass · content

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — a container
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. content — happy
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bound — certain
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. field — for sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — the amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — a permit
  24. field — a subject

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