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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tube — a container
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — certain
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — a stone

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