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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — certain

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