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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bore — to drill
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rock — a stone
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. land — a country
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kick — a thrill

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