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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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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. drill — a practice
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. drill — army training
  17. bore — to drill
  18. swing — to play on

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