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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 124 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — certain
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spell — magic
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fine — high quality
  9. vault — a safe
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fine — all right
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to click
  18. spell — letters
  19. present — there
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. present — a gift
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bound — tied together

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