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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rest — a break
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — tied together
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — a line
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — of the year

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