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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — a practice
  4. land — ground
  5. drill — the tool
  6. land — a country
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bank — for money
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to tire
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bank — of a river

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