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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · stick · dip · bound · charge · land · plane · tear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — certain
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — to sink
  13. charge — in control
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. land — a country
  18. tear — from crying
  19. plane — a tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. dip — to dunk

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