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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — in football
  5. tube — a container
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wake — a trail
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. prune — to trim

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