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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — letters
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a hole
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — decided
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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