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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bore — to drill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. roll — a cake

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