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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spell — letters
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — low music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rule — government
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — certain
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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