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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tear — to rip
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — happy

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