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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · stock · object · plane · wound · bound · clip · can

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — a thing
  4. stock — goods
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stock — shares
  11. bound — certain
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. clip — a video
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — for paper
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — tied together

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