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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — to visit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — to tire

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