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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — a series
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bark — to shout
  9. firm — decided
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — a match
  12. fall — the season
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pass — a permit

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