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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: bore · rush · ball · lean · bank · content · drill · prune

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. drill — army training
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. content — the amount
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — hurry

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