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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. plane — a tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — boats
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bat — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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