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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — magic
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to tire
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — letters
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — to cool the air

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