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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chair — a leader
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bound — certain
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — a group
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — to trim

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