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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: prune · cabinet · cap · bay · bore · land · squash · drill

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bore — to tire
  5. land — a country
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — ground
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — of ice
  14. drill — a practice
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — army training
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — to crush

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