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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. snap — to click
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — of law
  10. bore — to tire
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fall — the season
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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