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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — of a river
  9. season — of the year
  10. chest — of your body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — tied together
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — for sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. court — of law
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. plane — a tool

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