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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bound — certain
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — a position
  9. bound — tied together
  10. land — ground
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — on a finger

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