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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: pit · lean · coach · bound · stand · net · clip · plane

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bound — tied together
  5. net — for catching
  6. lean — thin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — after costs
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — a video
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. coach — a trainer

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