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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bore — to drill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — finally
  16. suit — clothes
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. last — to go on
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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