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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bound — obliged
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — certain
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. charge — in control
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — a price
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. season — in sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — a company

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