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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to drill
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cold — an illness
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — boats
  24. bore — to tire

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