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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: plane · content · bear · bound · coach · deal · face · straw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. content — happy
  6. deal — to handle
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bound — tied together
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — to put up with

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