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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bore — to drill
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — to sink
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. leaves — to go away

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