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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bore — to tire
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. spell — letters
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wax — to grow
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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