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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.

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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 · chest · plane · stand · wave · present · row · deal

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. present — a gift
  5. chest — a box
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — tied together
  9. present — there
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bound — certain
  13. chest — of your body
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chest — of your body
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. plane — an aircraft

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