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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. last — final
  8. bound — tied together
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. last — to go on
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — for a hammer

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