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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — ground
  6. chest — a box
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. land — to come down
  9. chest — of your body
  10. band — a ring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a path
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. land — a country
  21. track — a song
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — to tire
  24. prune — to trim

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