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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 · prune · face · calf · mine · deal · rock · ruler

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — certain
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — an agreement

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