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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tube — a container
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pound — a weight
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — for dogs

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