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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 116 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: leaves · suit · prune · rush · mine · bound · chair · bass

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bass — low music
  6. bound — certain
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — hurry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rush — a thrill

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