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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. face — to confront
  3. branch — a division
  4. cue — a signal
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. current — electric
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spring — the season
  12. face — to point toward
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — the earth
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ground — a position
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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