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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. content — happy
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. capital — a city
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — in cards
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — the amount
  17. vault — a safe
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hand — in cards
  20. capital — money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. suit — clothes
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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