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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — of a tree

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