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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a match
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — wild animals
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — magic
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. prune — the fruit

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