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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — a coil
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spring — of water
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bound — certain
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — in a road

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