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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. march — music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — the month
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hide — to keep secret

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