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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: drill · branch · bound · wave · present · bear · plane · pitch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — tied together
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pitch — completely
  18. drill — the tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. present — there
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. drill — army training

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