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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — a series
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — help
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rash — hasty

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