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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kick — in football
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bay — a horse colour

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