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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. club — a group
  3. bound — tied together
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bass — low music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — certain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — for dancing
  19. foot — a measure
  20. club — for golf
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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