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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — in a race
  24. leaves — lets stay

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