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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 116 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: mark · bore · squash · ruler · band · perch · mine · prune

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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