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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cold — not warm
  3. object — to protest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bound — certain
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cold — an illness
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — the underground

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