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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: prune · bore · dip · ruler · track · last · object · wind

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. last — to go on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. track — a song
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. prune — to trim
  19. last — final
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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