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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: court · wound · bark · suit · lean · leaves · bound · bore

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — to tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. court — of law
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — to bend
  7. court — for sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. court — of a king
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — clothes

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