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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · foot · prune · bore · chip · spell

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spell — letters
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. bore — to drill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — to eat
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. last — to go on
  18. bore — to tire

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