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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — there
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — a gift
  21. ball — a great time
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — on your feet

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