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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — a series
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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