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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. land — a country
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — there
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — to tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — a gift
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — thin

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