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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. current — happening now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — of a river
  11. march — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — of water
  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