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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — decided
  13. season — in sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bound — certain
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — steady

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