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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — high quality
  20. band — a music group
  21. bore — to tire
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — the animal

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