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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: track · rock · bear · bound · mouse · rash · prune · wake

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bound — tied together
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rock — music
  24. track — to keep track

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