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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · kid · game · bore · bound · hide · pit · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — a match
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — a kind of play

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