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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — an aim
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. last — final
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — finally
  21. face — to confront
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a great time

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