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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ruler — for measuring

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