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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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. board — to get on
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — a city
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — certain
  19. tear — to rip
  20. capital — money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tube — a container
  24. suit — clothes

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