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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: plane · deal · bound · lie · charge · cell · straw · rest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — a phone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. charge — a price
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — obliged
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rest — a break
  24. charge — in control

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