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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 120 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: pass · track · trunk · patient · leaves · ball · bound · fall

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — a permit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — tied together
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a path
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fall — the season
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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