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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. present — there
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — a gift
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. suit — in cards

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