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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: bass · prune · mate · bore · rush · bound · saw · row

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a friend
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mate — a partner
  14. row — a line
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — certain
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — to hurry

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