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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spring — of water
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — certain
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — a coil
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — the season
  24. ball — a great time

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