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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 · tube · rock · game · land · spell · bore · wave

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. land — a country
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — ground

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