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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: content · coach · bound · plane · cabinet · chip · mark · saw

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — happy
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bound — tied together
  21. content — the amount
  22. bound — certain
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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