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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
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: bear · squash · rule · roll · prune · straw · bound · plane

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. roll — a cake
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  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