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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: bank · content · nail · prune · lie · bound · wound · staff

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — happy
  3. bound — certain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — tied together
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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