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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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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bound — certain
  3. object — a thing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — hurry
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pit — a hole
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. file — a document
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wax — to grow
  24. leaves — to go away

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