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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — happy
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — certain
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rule — government
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. content — the amount
  19. track — a song
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — of the year
  24. vault — a safe

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