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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: tube · bore · clip · can · bay · pit · rash · prune

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — a video
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — in a race
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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