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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · bay · plane · ground · row · coach · cue · perch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — a position
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — the earth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — a signal

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