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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a great time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — a face
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rash — on the skin
  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