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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: drill · bound · stem · prune · wound · bore · deal · pit

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a hole
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — to come from
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — a big deal

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