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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. march — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. roll — a list
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. plane — a tool

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