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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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 — tied together
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. row — to paddle
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. capital — money
  15. row — a line
  16. mate — a friend
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a city
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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