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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 · kid · spring · rush · foot · leaves · wave · march

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — of water
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bound — certain
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. march — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — the month
  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