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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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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. face — to confront
  7. pound — a weight
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — tied together
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — in music
  24. face — to point toward

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