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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: fork · firm · saw · hand · band · bound · present · plane

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — tied together
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — obliged
  11. band — a ring
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — in cards
  18. firm — a company
  19. present — there
  20. band — a music group
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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