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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — low music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a line
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bass — the fish
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bore — to drill

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