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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: squash · mug · prune · fine · bore · staff · ground · wound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mug — a face
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bore — to tire
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. mug — a cup
  21. squash — to crush
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — all right

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