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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · bat · bound · stem · rush · mouse · leaves · present

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. present — there
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — money
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. capital — a city
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stem — to come from
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bound — certain

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