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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ground — a position
  12. branch — a division
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — in football
  16. board — to get on
  17. mug — a cup
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — the animal

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