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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — tied together
  19. key — in music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fall — the season
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. prune — to trim

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