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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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