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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a match
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. land — a country
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — wild animals
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — to keep secret

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