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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. object — an aim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — magic
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — to protest
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. object — a thing
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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