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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: saw · pass · cabinet · land · hand · prune · straw · bore

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — ground
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. land — a country
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pass — to succeed
  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