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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — in football
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bound — certain
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rule — government
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — low music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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