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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. hand — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. last — final
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bore — to tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — to go on
  21. net — in sport
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bear — to put up with
  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