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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — to paddle
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — to fit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chest — of your body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. club — a group
  16. bore — to drill
  17. roll — a list
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chest — a box
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. club — for golf
  24. roll — a cake

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