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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: row · squash · rock · cabinet · present · bound · craft · plane

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the sport
  7. row — a line
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rock — music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. craft — a skill
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — certain

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