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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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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: fall · key · last · board · prune · toast · bound · wind

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. last — to go on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — in music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. last — finally
  19. fall — the season
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. last — final

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