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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — letters
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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