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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 124 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. race — a contest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — goods
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — tied together
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — humankind
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — the arms race
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — in music
  24. saw — 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