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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: row · object · rest · bound · board · hide · club · plane

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — a thing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — to get on
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — a tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — to paddle
  18. club — for dancing
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a line

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