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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — obliged
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mug — to rob
  8. suit — in cards
  9. band — a ring
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cell — in biology
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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