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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. drill — a practice
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a cup
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — the tool

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