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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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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 · foot · kick · pit · cell · plane · wind · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bound — certain
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. plane — in geometry

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