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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lean — thin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. date — the fruit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to bend

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