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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — certain
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — to come from
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — size or range
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bound — obliged

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