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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — tied together
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitch — completely
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitch — a sports field

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