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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: last · key · hand · cap · bound · bay · dip · prune

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. last — to go on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. last — final
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. key — for a lock
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hand — help
  24. prune — to trim

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