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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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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: bound · board · object · squash · race · leaves · rash · ball

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a great time
  9. object — a thing
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. race — humankind
  21. ball — a dance
  22. board — to get on
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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