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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — thin
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — certain
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bore — to tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. saw — the tool

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