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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. date — the fruit
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — finally
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — to handle
  12. last — to go on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — electric
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — of water
  21. last — final
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — to drill

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