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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. face — to confront
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — obliged
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. face — part of the head
  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