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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — a break
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — soda
  13. field — for sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bound — obliged
  16. field — a subject
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — farmland

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