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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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 — to tire
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bank — of a river
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — on a finger
  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