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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rash — a series
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lie — to recline

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