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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bass — low music
  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