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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — goods
  12. chair — a leader
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — a division
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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