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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — to drill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bore — to tire
  5. face — part of the head
  6. field — a subject
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rash — a series
  18. field — farmland
  19. face — to confront
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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