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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 124 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. clip — for paper
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. clip — a video
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. toast — bread
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — to cool the air

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