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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: mug · plane · bark · march · bound · hand · kick · swing

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — help
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — music
  14. swing — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bark — to shout
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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