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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · straw · mark · cabinet · wax · prune · kick · drill

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kick — in football
  24. prune — to trim

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