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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mug — a cup
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. present — a gift
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mug — to rob
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — in cards
  22. present — the time now
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — there

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