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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — a container
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. last — final
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — to drill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — finally
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — the underground
  24. nail — for a hammer

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