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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. drill — army training
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chest — a box
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bear — to put up with

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