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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bound — certain
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a cake
  5. plane — a tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. roll — a list
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — tied together
  15. drill — army training
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. prune — to trim

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