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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rock — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. track — a song
  22. board — to get on
  23. track — a path
  24. present — the time now

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