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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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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: saw · bound · face · stick · prune · pit · clip · rest

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bound — obliged
  22. face — to point toward
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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