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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — to come down
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. land — ground
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — of water
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — happening now
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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