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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — to crush
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — electric
  17. mate — to breed
  18. prune — to trim
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — happening now
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — of water

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