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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
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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 · root · land · present · cabinet · bore · leaves · squash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — to come down
  6. present — there
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — ground
  12. root — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — the cause
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — obliged
  20. root — of a word
  21. squash — the sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — gave birth

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