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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chest — a box
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — certain
  24. season — of the year

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