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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — hasty
  10. roll — a list
  11. bound — tied together
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — of a king
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — to bear
  20. court — of law
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — for sport
  24. bound — certain

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