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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — certain
  3. prune — to trim
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. sharp — clever
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — to paddle
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — decided
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — a company

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