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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 116 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: prune · leaves · drill · chair · bore · stick · lean · fork

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fork — in a road
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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