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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: pop · plane · stem · cap · hide · mouse · pass · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — of ice
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pop — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pop — soda
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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