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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · can · patient · lie · bound · rock · spell · plane

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — magic
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. can — a tin
  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