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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — there
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — a gift
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. present — the time now
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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