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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bound — tied together
  4. last — finally
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — hurry
  18. last — to go on
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — help

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