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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bound — tied together
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — rain
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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