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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — a series
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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