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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — obliged
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. object — a thing
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a committee
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for golf
  24. board — to get on

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