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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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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: wound · rash · bound · suit · plane · lean · last · saw

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. last — final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. last — finally
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — a tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — certain
  23. suit — to fit
  24. last — to go on

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