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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — final
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. present — the time now
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wax — to grow
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — a gift
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — obliged
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — there

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