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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. object — to protest

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