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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wind — moving air
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — of law
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — for sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. prune — the fruit

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