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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. craft — boats
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — for digging
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — in sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — to tire
  22. season — of the year
  23. straw — dry grass
  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