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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — happy
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — certain
  10. club — for dancing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — a group
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — for golf
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. race — humankind

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