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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.

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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 · rash · present · lean · board · cap · leaves · last

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. last — to go on
  3. lean — thin
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. last — finally
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — a series
  9. last — final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. present — a gift
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — to bend
  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