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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · can · leaves · prune · plane · bark · ruler · cold

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cold — an illness
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — to shout

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