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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: bound · object · rush · track · fan · staff · season · cell

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. track — a song
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — obliged
  19. track — to keep track
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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