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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — a company
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — to breed
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fall — the season
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bound — certain
  22. firm — decided
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fall — to drop

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