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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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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: calf · track · rule · wake · bound · board · last · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — finally
  5. wake — a trail
  6. object — an aim
  7. last — final
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — to keep track
  11. object — a thing
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — to go on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a committee
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — tied together
  22. board — to get on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rule — a law

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