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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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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 · ball · board · lie · land · saw · cabinet · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a dance
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — to get on
  13. land — ground
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — a committee
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. prune — to trim

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