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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: hide · fork · ground · foot · plane · rush · present · bound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. bound — obliged
  12. present — a gift
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fork — in a road
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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