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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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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: calf · bound · prune · content · rest · scale · tear · ruler

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — a break
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — certain
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — happy

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