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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — money
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. capital — a city
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — thin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — gave birth

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