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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spell — magic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pit — a hole
  12. roll — a list
  13. tube — a container
  14. spell — letters
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bound — certain
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — hurry

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