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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: plane · board · lean · club · mark · land · bound · cabinet

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — certain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — to come down
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — for golf
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — a country
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — a flat piece

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