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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: sharp · bound · pound · coach · lean · field · rule · plane

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — a subject
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. field — for sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lean — thin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bound — tied together

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