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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. vault — a safe
  3. season — of the year
  4. drill — the tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. snap — to click
  9. craft — boats
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — part of the head
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. face — to point toward
  17. drill — army training
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — a handicraft

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