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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: track · rest · object · lean · squash · bowl · prune · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — to tire
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a path
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. object — a thing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to bend

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