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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — the most important part
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pass — to succeed

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