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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — a subject
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — farmland
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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