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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.

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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: cabinet · fan · fine · lean · bore · ball · march · prune

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — music
  3. lean — thin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — a penalty

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