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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — of ice
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — a lid
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. band — a ring
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — of water
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. band — a music group
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — electric
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — a division
  24. bound — obliged

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