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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · object · board · squash · rash · fork · leaves · bound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — a series
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. board — a committee
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bound — certain
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kid — to tease
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kid — child
  24. object — to protest

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