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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. present — the time now
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — a thing
  6. bound — obliged
  7. object — to protest
  8. file — a tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. present — there
  11. spell — letters
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — certain
  19. bass — low music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. file — a document
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bass — the fish

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