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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. last — finally
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — final
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kick — in football
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rest — a break
  24. last — to go on

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