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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — a tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hand — part of the body

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