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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.

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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 · bound · craft · band · squash · present · bore · current

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — to tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — there
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bound — certain
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a music group
  19. present — the time now
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. band — a ring
  22. present — a gift
  23. craft — boats
  24. bound — tied together

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