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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — of water
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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