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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wake — a trail
  4. march — music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — a tool
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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