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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — to rob
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — a friend
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bound — tied together
  18. clip — a video
  19. pop — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — obliged
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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