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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — government
  5. plane — a tool
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. roll — a list
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rule — a law
  17. fine — all right
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the vegetable

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