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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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 — obliged
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — a box
  9. drill — a practice
  10. content — happy
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. drill — army training
  15. content — the amount
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bound — tied together
  19. press — newspapers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  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