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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 120 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: bound · season · kick · root · stick · rule · plane · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — obliged
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. root — of a word
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — certain
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rule — government
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — an aircraft

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