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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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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: present · prune · cap · lean · bore · wake · saw · mate

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. present — there
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — to bend
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — the time now

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