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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. foot — a measure
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — low music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. staff — a stick

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