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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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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: staff · wound · mark · plane · prune · bore · rest · sharp

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — a break
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a grade
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. prune — the fruit

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