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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spell — letters
  3. chip — to eat
  4. last — finally
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — magic
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. last — final
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. plane — in geometry

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