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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 · roll · season · object · bound · content · rest · bear

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. roll — a cake
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. season — in sport
  15. content — happy
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — a thing
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. roll — a list

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