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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rock — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fall — the season
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — in a road

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