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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bound — tied together
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. firm — steady
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cell — a phone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bound — obliged
  21. firm — decided
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pound — a weight

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