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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bound — obliged
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. branch — a division

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