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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — a song
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — to keep track
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. shower — to wash
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. track — a path
  16. bore — to drill
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — to tire

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