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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.

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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. file — a document
  14. swing — to play on
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. bore — to tire
  18. swing — music

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