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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: bound · object · bat · row · wave · plane · lie · file

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. file — a document
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — the animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. plane — a tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — an aim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lie — to recline

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