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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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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: last · bore · rush · prune · suit · roll · row · race

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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 — to tire
  2. row — to paddle
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. roll — a list
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. row — a line
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. bore — to drill
  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