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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.

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: foot · file · object · bound · wound · toast · squash · suit

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. suit — to fit
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — certain
  5. file — a document
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wound — an injury
  8. suit — in cards
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — clothes
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. object — a thing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bound — obliged
  22. toast — bread
  23. file — a tool
  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