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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: current · rock · firm · bound · mate · prune · nail · spring

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — tied together
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. current — happening now
  8. bound — certain
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mate — a partner
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. current — electric
  21. firm — steady
  22. spring — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — the season

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