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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a dance
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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