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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
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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: fall · mine · game · bound · staff · bat · object · rush

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — hurry
  6. object — an aim
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. game — a match
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fall — the season
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — to protest
  24. bat — in an idiom

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