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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. plane — a tool
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bound — obliged
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — an aim
  13. bound — certain
  14. roll — a cake
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — a list
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pop — soda
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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