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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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