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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — obliged
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — the season
  22. band — a music group
  23. toast — bread
  24. spring — of water

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