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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spring — of water
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — certain
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. root — the cause
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — in sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. season — to add flavour

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