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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — from a university
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. degree — temperature
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to tire
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — for digging
  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