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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — hasty
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — certain
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. suit — clothes
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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