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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 116 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 · prune · press · bear · craft · ground · kid · firm

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. firm — steady
  3. bound — certain
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kid — child
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — a skill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. kid — to tease

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