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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: object · toast · bound · nail · chest · rest · present · track

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. present — the time now
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — a box
  11. present — a gift
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. object — to protest
  14. rest — a break
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bound — obliged
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. present — there

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