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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · bound · object · lie · wake · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — tied together
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — certain
  7. board — to get on
  8. object — to protest
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — an aim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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