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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.

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 · key · plane · mine · present · firm · hide · cell

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. firm — a company
  9. present — the time now
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — in music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — a gift
  19. bound — obliged
  20. firm — steady
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mine — for digging
  24. present — there

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