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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ground — a position
  6. bound — obliged
  7. current — happening now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — there
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bound — certain
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. current — electric

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