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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: face · pop · band · bound · hide · patient · plane · can

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a ring
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — soda
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a music group
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pop — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. plane — a tool

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