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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — magic
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. board — to get on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. board — a committee
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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