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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to drill
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. object — a thing
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — a division
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. object — an aim
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — to fit
  24. object — to protest

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