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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — to breed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mate — a friend
  8. drill — army training
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — thin
  11. kid — child
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kid — to tease
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bound — certain
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. drill — the tool
  24. prune — the fruit

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