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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — to rob
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a face
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — for digging
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — money
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — a cup
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to drill
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. mine — belonging to me

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