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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: staff · bound · season · hide · vault · leaves · track · present

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — in sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — a gift
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. staff — employees
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. track — a path
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — a song
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — there
  22. staff — employees
  23. season — of the year
  24. bound — obliged

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