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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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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: bay · last · board · bound · leaves · scale · foot · mug

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — size or range
  5. last — finally
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — final
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — a measure

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