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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — a position
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — a series
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lean — thin
  13. chest — a box
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bore — to drill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ground — the earth

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