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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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