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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — certain
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. club — for golf
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — steady
  13. swing — to play on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. swing — in golf
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bound — tied together
  23. club — a group
  24. arm — a part of something

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