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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chest — a box
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — of your body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. current — electric
  8. mug — to rob
  9. firm — steady
  10. mug — a face
  11. current — happening now
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — of water
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bound — obliged
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — certain
  23. firm — decided
  24. wake — before a funeral

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