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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. present — there
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. clip — a video
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — the time now
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. prune — to trim

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