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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: fall · saw · wake · face · bore · squash · hide · prune

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — part of the head
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — the season
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to drill
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hide — animal skin
  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