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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bore — to tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cold — not warm
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — in cards

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