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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. face — to confront
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pop — to visit
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — a coil
  18. face — part of the head
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fine — high quality

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