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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — help
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. content — happy
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — in biology
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — a tin

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