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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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 tire
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wake — a trail
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. clip — a video
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  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