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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: bound · mug · wind · chair · leaves · wake · wound · bore

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bore — to tire

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