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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — bread
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — a partner
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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