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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. capital — money
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — to fit
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. vault — a safe
  11. capital — a city
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ground — a position
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ground — crushed
  19. branch — a division
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. shower — rain
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. suit — clothes

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