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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: wound · bear · wind · leaves · suit · foot · key · bound

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — tied together
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. suit — to fit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. suit — in cards
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — certain
  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