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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bound — obliged
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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