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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: bound · bay · prune · bear · kid · bulb · mug · pop

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pop — soda
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bound — certain
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — child
  23. pop — music
  24. bound — tied together

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