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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. track — a song
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — a tin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. last — finally
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — the season
  13. bore — to tire
  14. last — to go on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — final
  20. track — a path
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  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