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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: plane · content · spell · mark · leaves · kid · pit · bound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — tied together
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — letters
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — certain
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — child
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pit — a hole

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