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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. present — the time now
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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