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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: kid · press · prune · ball · mouse · rule · dip · bore

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kid — to tease
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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