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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — a line
  6. branch — a division
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — to bear
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. object — an aim
  14. game — a match
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — certain
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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