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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: board · bore · prune · fan · row · present · sharp · bay

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a line
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — the time now
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. present — a gift
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — exactly

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