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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 · stem · key · plane · bat · date · jam · file

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — a tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — the most important part
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bound — certain
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. key — in music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bound — tied together
  24. jam — in traffic

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