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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mug — a face
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mug — a cup
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ball — a great time
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mug — to rob

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