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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bound — obliged
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bound — tied together
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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