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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: hide · bound · rule · plane · pass · racket · chair · squash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — a law
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — government

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