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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. file — a document
  19. last — final
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a tool

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