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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · bore · prune · wind · deal · court · mug · hand

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — of law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hand — in cards
  12. court — for sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. court — of a king
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mug — a face

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