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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. branch — a division
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mine — for digging
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. craft — boats
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. craft — a skill

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