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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 124 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bound — certain
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — in music
  20. bound — obliged
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — thin

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