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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — for digging

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