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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: net · trunk · tear · bound · jam · leaves · pound · prune

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. net — in sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. tear — from crying
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. tear — to rip
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bound — certain
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — for catching
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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