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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spell — letters
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. race — a contest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. charge — in control
  12. race — humankind
  13. key — for a lock
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — magic
  17. charge — a price
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — the most important part

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