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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bound — certain
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. file — a document
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. file — a tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. object — an aim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — a thing

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