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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. land — a country
  5. bound — certain
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. land — to come down
  9. kick — in football
  10. swing — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bound — tied together
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — in a road
  24. land — ground

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