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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mate — a partner
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a friend
  18. object — an aim
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bore — to tire

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