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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — a division
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lie — an untruth

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