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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: bore · toast · rest · nail · prune · saw · mouse · court

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. toast — bread
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. court — of a king
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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