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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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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: kid · prune · toast · rock · last · bore · dip · race

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. toast — bread
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. race — the arms race
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. race — a contest
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — music
  14. last — finally
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — final
  18. prune — to trim
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. kid — child
  24. race — humankind

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