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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — of law
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. last — final
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — certain
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. leaves — of a tree

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