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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. cold — not warm
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — a stick
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. current — electric
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — an illness
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — in music
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. prune — to trim

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