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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. file — a document
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fine — all right
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a line of people
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. file — a tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — certain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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