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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — a country
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — certain

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