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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: pit · season · saw · rash · mine · face · plane · bound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. face — to confront
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rash — hasty
  10. face — to point toward
  11. season — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — in a race

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