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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — help
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spell — magic

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