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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: wound · ball · plane · march · can · bound · cell · lie

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — an injury
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — certain

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