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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: game · saw · bound · mug · shower · plane · capital · bear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bound — obliged
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. capital — money
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bound — certain
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. plane — a tool

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