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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pit — a hole
  16. prune — to trim
  17. field — farmland
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pit — in a race
  21. face — to confront
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — in geometry

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