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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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