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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a skill
  7. land — a country
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. craft — boats
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — a break
  14. bound — certain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — obliged
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — ground

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