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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — music
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — to go on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — soda
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. last — finally
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — thin
  21. ground — a position
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — final
  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