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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mate — to breed
  4. swing — music
  5. bound — certain
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — a friend
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — government
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tube — in a tire

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