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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bound — obliged
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — certain
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. file — a document

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