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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cell — in biology
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. last — to go on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a committee
  19. bore — to tire
  20. board — to get on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a line

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