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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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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: fall · deal · plane · row · season · lie · bound · wax

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. bound — certain
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. row — a line
  21. wax — to grow
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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