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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chest — a box
  6. bound — tied together
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. bound — obliged
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — a group
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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