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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 124 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. game — a match
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a document
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. object — a thing
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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