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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: bound · fine · cabinet · face · branch · deal · plane · row

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. face — part of the head
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — tied together
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — a line
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to point toward
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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