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

Word bank: rest · bound · lean · cell · racket · prune · mark · content

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — certain
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. content — the amount
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — a break
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lean — thin
  24. cell — a phone

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