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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — a tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. club — a group
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — there
  14. land — a country
  15. present — the time now
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. present — a gift
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. club — for golf
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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