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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — the underground
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — a grade
  6. tube — a container
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fall — the season
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — certain
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — in a tire

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