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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: bound · bay · cabinet · pop · board · deal · leaves · snap

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to click
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — music
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bound — certain
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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