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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fine — high quality
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — a safe

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