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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 · wound · tear · content · current · key · track · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a song
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — electric
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tear — to rip
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. track — a path
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — happy
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — for a lock
  24. current — of water

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