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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — government
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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