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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · season · plane · present · charge · bound · shower · coach

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — tied together
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. bound — certain
  12. charge — in control
  13. shower — rain
  14. clip — to cut
  15. present — a gift
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. clip — for paper
  18. season — in sport
  19. present — there
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — of the year
  24. clip — a video

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