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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — a tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — letters
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — a company
  11. spell — a short time
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — a position
  16. spell — magic
  17. ground — the earth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. last — finally
  23. firm — decided
  24. last — final

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