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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — for sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of a king
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — a tool
  24. court — of law

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