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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. race — a contest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. mate — a friend
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — the animal

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