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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: band · ground · wave · bore · hide · prune · cell · rock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rock — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. band — a music group
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cell — in a prison

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