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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: bound · hide · row · bark · date · prune · fine · season

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — to shout
  9. row — a line
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — certain
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — all right
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. prune — the fruit

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