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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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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: pass · prune · staff · suit · bound · spring · land · drill

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. suit — to fit
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — clothes
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — the tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spring — of water
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. suit — in cards
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spring — the season
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — a coil
  22. drill — army training
  23. pass — a permit
  24. land — ground

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