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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — tied together
  4. last — to go on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bound — certain
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to confront
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — obliged
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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