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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — a price
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. branch — a division
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — the sport
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ground — the earth

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