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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 120 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: row · prune · pop · bore · stem · dip · coach · drill

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. drill — army training
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — a line
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pop — soda
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. dip — to sink

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