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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — help
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — of law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — tied together
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tear — to rip
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. court — for sport
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. prune — to trim

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