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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to tire
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rule — a law
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. toast — bread
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. plane — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. clip — a video
  24. plane — in geometry

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