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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: cell · bowl · roll · leaves · bound · prune · key · straw

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — obliged
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. key — in music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — in biology
  18. roll — a list
  19. prune — to trim
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bound — certain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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