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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: prune · stick · game · fork · coach · mug · bore · wax

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to drill

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