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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. spring — the season
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — of a river
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. swing — music
  10. track — a song
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — a tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bound — tied together
  20. swing — to play on
  21. track — a path
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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