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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · prune · rash · pound · content · hide · last · ball

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rash — a series
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rash — hasty
  9. content — the amount
  10. last — finally
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. last — final
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — to go on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — a weight
  24. content — happy

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