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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spell — magic
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bore — to drill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spell — letters
  15. march — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chest — a box
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. saw — the tool

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