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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. clip — a video
  3. fine — all right
  4. plane — a tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a ring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — certain
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bound — obliged
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. clip — to cut
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — for paper
  23. band — a music group
  24. plane — an aircraft

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