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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — for digging
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — in a race
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fork — a garden tool

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