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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — a committee
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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