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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bound — certain
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. date — the fruit

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