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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · bound · spring · rash · stick · prune · cue · fork

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rash — a series
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — of water
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — certain
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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