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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bound — obliged
  3. branch — a division
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kick — in football
  6. spring — a coil
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spring — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — a tool
  20. toast — bread
  21. bound — tied together
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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