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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: race · bound · leaves · mark · tube · object · date · lean

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — an aim
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. race — humankind
  9. lean — to bend
  10. race — a contest
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tube — a container
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. object — a thing
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lean — thin
  24. date — on the calendar

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