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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 · board · swing · bore · last · ball · leaves · mouse

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. last — finally
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — tied together
  10. swing — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. board — a committee
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. last — to go on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a dance

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