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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — music

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