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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — certain
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pop — music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stem — a stem cell

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