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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fine — high quality
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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