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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: hand · clip · deal · leaves · bear · plane · bound · chest

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bound — tied together
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. bound — certain
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — help

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