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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: drill · present · mate · craft · pop · bore · prune · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — there
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. mate — a friend
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — the tool

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