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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — money
  4. track — to keep track
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bound — obliged
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — electric
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — an eyelash

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