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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — decided
  5. rash — hasty
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — steady
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — in geometry
  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