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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — moving air
  20. row — to paddle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. mouse — the animal

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