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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · club · mug · plane · row · pass · bound · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. club — for golf
  3. bound — tied together
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bound — obliged
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mug — a cup
  12. club — for dancing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lean — thin
  18. row — a line
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — a permit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the vegetable

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