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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bound — obliged
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — a leader
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — certain
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — tied together
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. track — to keep track

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