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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — to protest
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — government
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. object — a thing
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rule — a law
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. object — an aim

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