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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 · suit · cold · mug · bark · prune · board · leaves

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. board — to get on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — to fit
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cold — not warm
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bark — of a tree

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