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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
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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 · spring · prune · hand · rest · cue · stick · jam

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rest — what's left
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — the season
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — certain
  24. hand — in cards

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