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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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. bound — obliged
  4. kid — child
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — to push
  16. pop — to visit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. plane — a tool

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