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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bound — tied together
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — ground
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — a country
  24. bound — obliged

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