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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — a company
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. date — the fruit
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — to trim
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — to tire
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. court — of a king
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — gave birth

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