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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — for golf
  14. branch — a division
  15. club — for dancing
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — to rip
  22. plane — a tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. club — a group

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