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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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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: rush · calf · prune · bound · spell · sharp · jam · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. sharp — clever
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. fine — high quality
  13. spell — magic
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bound — tied together

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